diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/abstracteditorsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/abstracteditorsupport.cpp
index 64fd65ff849..c1e49a4a1b0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/abstracteditorsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/abstracteditorsupport.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
 #include "cppfilesettingspage.h"
 #include "cppmodelmanager.h"
 
+#include <utils/fileutils.h>
+#include <utils/macroexpander.h>
+
 namespace CppTools {
 
 AbstractEditorSupport::AbstractEditorSupport(CppModelManager *modelmanager) :
@@ -53,7 +56,14 @@ void AbstractEditorSupport::notifyAboutUpdatedContents() const
 
 QString AbstractEditorSupport::licenseTemplate(const QString &file, const QString &className)
 {
-    return Internal::CppFileSettings::licenseTemplate(file, className);
+    const QString license = Internal::CppFileSettings::licenseTemplate();
+    Utils::MacroExpander expander;
+    expander.registerVariable("Cpp:License:FileName", tr("The file name."),
+                              [file]() { return Utils::FileName::fromString(file).fileName(); });
+    expander.registerVariable("Cpp:License:ClassName", tr("The class name"),
+                              [className]() { return className; });
+
+    return expander.expand(license);
 }
 
 } // namespace CppTools
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.cpp
index f0af6904cce..f6766dbd76d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.cpp
@@ -145,28 +145,26 @@ bool CppFileSettings::equals(const CppFileSettings &rhs) const
 
 // Replacements of special license template keywords.
 static bool keyWordReplacement(const QString &keyWord,
-                               const QString &file,
-                               const QString &className,
                                QString *value)
 {
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%YEAR%")) {
-        *value = QString::number(QDate::currentDate().year());
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{CurrentDate:yyyy}");
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%MONTH%")) {
-        *value = QString::number(QDate::currentDate().month());
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{CurrentDate:M}");
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%DAY%")) {
-        *value = QString::number(QDate::currentDate().day());
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{CurrentDate:d}");
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%CLASS%")) {
-        *value = className;
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{Cpp:License:ClassName}");
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%FILENAME%")) {
-        *value = Utils::FileName::fromString(file).fileName();
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{Cpp:License:FileName}");
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%DATE%")) {
@@ -179,17 +177,17 @@ static bool keyWordReplacement(const QString &keyWord,
             if (format.count(ypsilon) == 2)
                 format.insert(format.indexOf(ypsilon), QString(2, ypsilon));
         }
-        *value = QDate::currentDate().toString(format);
+        *value = QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentDate:") + format + QLatin1Char('}');
         return true;
     }
     if (keyWord == QLatin1String("%USER%")) {
-        *value = Utils::Environment::systemEnvironment().userName();
+        *value = QLatin1String("%{Env:USER}");
         return true;
     }
     // Environment variables (for example '%$EMAIL%').
     if (keyWord.startsWith(QLatin1String("%$"))) {
         const QString varName = keyWord.mid(2, keyWord.size() - 3);
-        *value = QString::fromLocal8Bit(qgetenv(varName.toLocal8Bit()));
+        *value = QString::fromLatin1("%{Env:") + varName + QLatin1Char('}');
         return true;
     }
     return false;
@@ -197,10 +195,11 @@ static bool keyWordReplacement(const QString &keyWord,
 
 // Parse a license template, scan for %KEYWORD% and replace if known.
 // Replace '%%' by '%'.
-static void parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(QString *t, const QString &file, const QString &className)
+static void parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(QString *t)
 {
     int pos = 0;
     const QChar placeHolder = QLatin1Char('%');
+    bool isCompatibilityStyle = false;
     do {
         const int placeHolderPos = t->indexOf(placeHolder, pos);
         if (placeHolderPos == -1)
@@ -214,7 +213,8 @@ static void parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(QString *t, const QString &file, co
         } else {
             const QString keyWord = t->mid(placeHolderPos, endPlaceHolderPos + 1 - placeHolderPos);
             QString replacement;
-            if (keyWordReplacement(keyWord, file, className, &replacement)) {
+            if (keyWordReplacement(keyWord, &replacement)) {
+                isCompatibilityStyle = true;
                 t->replace(placeHolderPos, keyWord.size(), replacement);
                 pos = placeHolderPos + replacement.size();
             } else {
@@ -223,12 +223,14 @@ static void parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(QString *t, const QString &file, co
             }
         }
     } while (pos < t->size());
+
+    if (isCompatibilityStyle)
+        t->replace(QLatin1Char('\\'), QLatin1String("\\\\"));
 }
 
 // Convenience that returns the formatted license template.
-QString CppFileSettings::licenseTemplate(const QString &fileName, const QString &className)
+QString CppFileSettings::licenseTemplate()
 {
-
     const QSettings *s = Core::ICore::settings();
     QString key = QLatin1String(Constants::CPPTOOLS_SETTINGSGROUP);
     key += QLatin1Char('/');
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ QString CppFileSettings::licenseTemplate(const QString &fileName, const QString
     licenseStream.setAutoDetectUnicode(true);
     QString license = licenseStream.readAll();
 
-    parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(&license, fileName, className);
+    parseLicenseTemplatePlaceholders(&license);
 
     // Ensure at least one newline at the end of the license template to separate it from the code
     const QChar newLine = QLatin1Char('\n');
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.h b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.h
index 84ad6529a92..855aefb7d0c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppfilesettingspage.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct CppFileSettings
 
     // Convenience to return a license template completely formatted.
     // Currently made public in
-    static QString licenseTemplate(const QString &file = QString(), const QString &className = QString());
+    static QString licenseTemplate();
 
     bool equals(const CppFileSettings &rhs) const;
     bool operator==(const CppFileSettings &s) const { return equals(s); }